WHO WE ARE

The Yampa Valley Community Foundation is the primary source for philanthropic resources and education for donors and nonprofit organizations in Northwest Colorado. We promote thoughtful, individualized charitable giving and create endowments that have meaningful impact in the Yampa Valley.

Integrity

In all that we do, the Yampa Valley Community Foundation operates with the highest integrity. We are the gold standard in client services and a trusted resource to the community. Our work is impeccable, impactful and transparent to those we serve.

Connecter

We connect people who care with causes that matter. By leveraging our resources, expertise, and our relationships with donors and fund holders we work to achieve shared prosperity and equity in the Yampa Valley.

Community

Healthy communities rely on quality nonprofit organizations, and quality nonprofits rely on sustainable funding. We are proud to support our local nonprofit ecosystem through our annual Community Grant Cycle, which recognizes and rewards nonprofit programs that are creating meaningful change in our communities.

Open Door

Every day we meet with partners, new and longstanding to pass on our passion to build a better Yampa Valley. If you have a passion, we can help you find the best way to pass it on.

North Routt Community Fund 2021 Grant Allocations Announced

The North Routt Community Fund grant committee has awarded $9,790 to four nonprofit organizations in its 2021 grant cycle. In this year’s cycle, four of seven grant applications were awarded.

The North Routt Community Charter School (NRCCS) received $4,790 for an 8th grade capstone raft trip down the Yampa River. Routt County Search and Rescue was awarded $1,500 to purchase new ATV to help with rescues in the North Routt area. Yampatika partners with NRCCS to provide environmental education to K-4th students and will use its award of $2,500 to provide the science-based programming to all grade levels. The $1,000 grant to Strings Music Festival will help them bring a professional musical performance to the North Routt community in summer 2022 through the Strings Free Community Outreach Program.

Katie Carroll, Director of Programs at Strings Music Festival, explains, “While Strings currently offers music and arts programming to students in the North Routt school, we’re really looking forward to expanding our offerings and bringing a high-quality concert to the entire North Routt community next summer.”

The granting committee anticipated funding up to $4,790 this year but, with a generous private donation and because few organizations applied in 2020, additional dollars were available to grant in this round. Helen Beall, YVCF Community Impact Manager, says, “The committee was glad to support so many worthwhile organizations in its third year of granting, supporting important existing programs and also encouraging new programming in North Routt.”

The Fund was established in 2019 to ensure the community is strong and thriving for years to come, and to honor the legacy of Stephen Stranahan who had a deep connection to the North Routt community. To learn more, visit https://yvcf.org/the-north-routt-community-fund/

2022 Trail Maintenance Endowment Fund Grants Announced

The Yampa Valley Community Foundation (YVCF) has awarded three Trail Maintenance Endowment Fund (TMEF) grants for the 2021 cycle, a total of $29,122. Stagecoach State Park was awarded $7,000 for repairs to trails and culverts damaged by runoff, the City of Steamboat Springs and Steamboat Digs Dogs were awarded $7,122 for trail improvements at Rita Valentine Park, and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are receiving $15,000 for two shared summer seasonal full-time staff.

This was the sixth granting year for TMEF, established in 2015 to provide permanent funding support for non-motorized trail and trailhead maintenance projects on public lands in Routt and Moffat Counties. Total award amounts are based on YVCF’s endowment spending policy and increase as the fund balance grows. The fundraising goal of $1 million to $1.5 million by 2026 will provide approximately $60,000 for trail maintenance projects each year when reached; the current fund balance is $958,156.

Decisions on how to spend TMEF revenue are made by a board comprised of four land managers including the City of Steamboat Springs, one representative each from the City of Craig and the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association and two community members at large. Grants can be made to public land managers or nonprofit organizations partnering with a public land organization.

Since inception, $77,130 has been awarded out of the fund, supporting a variety of projects highly valued by trail users in the Yampa Valley. Grants have been used for materials for bridge repairs in Loudy-Simpson Park, trail stabilization around Pearl Lake, and restoration of the NPR downhill biking trail on Emerald Mountain, as well as funding seasonal staff focused on trail maintenance projects. The full-time seasonal USFS employee hired in 2021 with a $9,500 TMEF grant assisted with many trail projects across the district’s 350 miles of non-motorized trails, including proving essential for quickly re-opening the popular Mad Creek trail after a rockslide in spring 2021. Brendan Kelly, USFS Recreation Specialist, said “Without the extra seasonal staff we were able to hire with TMEF funds, the highly trafficked Mad Creek trail would have been closed for weeks rather than the 2 days it took to clear it.”

To learn more about the work accomplished by USFS’s Non-Motorized Trail Crew in 2021: TRAIL REPORT

To see photos of the trail improvements at Pearl Lake State Park: PEARL TRAIL

Donations to support trail maintenance can be made at: SUPPORT TRAILS

 

 

 

 

 

Pearl Lake State Park trail upgrade